Vicki Mennie, ABC Open contributor, lives near Moruya a small rural community on the far south coast of NSW, where the large local population of kangaroos almost equals the number of residents. A former hairdressing teacher, Vicki jumped at the chance when she saw the ad for ABC Open’s 500 words writing workshop at a […]
ABC Open producer Vanessa Milton’s patch takes up an area in New South Wales stretching from the Victorian border to Batemans Bay and across to the Snowy Mountains. On any given day she can be running a writing workshop, teaching an amateur historian how to record interviews or helping a farmer make a film about […]
In small village halls, bush libraries and regional towns across Australia, ABC Open producers teach locals how to hone and share digital stories to share with a huge online community. Before he went to his first workshop five years ago, Wyndham farmer Norm Clarke’s only experience with computers was ‘pulling the plug out of the […]
Trials of the new National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) have been underway since July 2013. Participants in the trials say planning ahead is key for everyone involved – including community organisations. Are you NDIS ready? The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is the biggest social reform in Australia since the introduction of Medicare. The goal of the NDIS is to enable people […]
We know that students learn best when they’re enjoying themselves. The same goes for staff. People do their best work when they enjoy their jobs, trust the people they work with, and are proud of the work they do. Here are some tips for injecting fun and creativity into your workplace. Create opportunities and places […]
Hacker or makerspaces are the latest in a long tradition of community spaces that offer opportunities for informal learning. On a dark winter’s night in Melbourne’s Hawthorn, a lime green perspex door trimmed with LED lights up a cobbled laneway. The Connected Community HackerSpace (CCHS) in the converted garage welcomes people who want to work on DIY technology or artistic projects. Over […]
A whole-of-community adult literacy campaign based on a revolutionary Cuban education method is having life-changing results in Indigenous communities in outback NSW. The first pilot of the Cuban-designed mass literacy education program conducted in Wilcannia in 2012 helped reduce crime and increase school attendance. Now it’s flourishing in Bourke and Enngonia and is about to […]
Recent elections have brought some fresh faces to the ALA Board. Here’s a chance to learn a little more about some of our newer Board members. Chris McCall (Vic) I manage the Yarraville Community Centre (YCC) in the inner west of Melbourne. We are a medium sized not for profit delivering a broad range of programs and […]
Professor Alan Tuckett OBE, acknowledged guru of adult education, shares his views on intergenerational and lifelong learning. In the northern UK city of Sunderland there’s a learning centre underneath the stands at the Sunderland Football Club. Local football fans – many of whom are unemployed – can attend a literacy program, get advice on preparing a CV, attend courses on the history of […]
Pairing tech savvy schoolkids with older people struggling with new technology has proved a perfect match in the Victorian town of Traralgon. The idea of a service to help older peoplein the community with their digital devices staffed by local high school students seemed logical to Joh Lyons, project worker for the Digital Shed, a project of Traralgon Neighbourhood […]
It’s truer than ever that a picture is worth a thousand words. And with cameras in our phones there’s no excuse. Here’s some tips for getting some great shots. 1. Look sharp Focus the picture so that the main subject of the photo is sharp and clear. Avoid taking photos with the camera phone held out at […]
A new program encouraging women to take up tutoring in adult and community education is taking off in Western Australia. When Ruth O’Dwyer saw the ad on Facebook for the ACE Women Taking the Lead program, she jumped at the chance to develop her training skills. She was one of ten women who recently completed the […]
The SA Government has allocated $1.142 million dollars to Community Centres South Australia to fund a one-on-one program to help people who have previously found it difficult to study or find work. The Community Centres SA Personal Support Program offers mentoring and individualised learning opportunities for people who are struggling to find work, have been […]
For those with a criminal record or trying to adjust to life after prison, poor literacy is a burden that can make rehabilitation that much harder. A Tasmanian adult literacy program helps former prisoners and offenders get back on their feet. Most of the offenders who arrive at Community Corrections Centre in Hobart to get […]
Glenorchy City Council in Tasmania has launched a LEARN (Learning, Engaging, Achieving, Respect and Networking) Strategy to provide the community with opportunities to continue learning for life. The LEARN Strategy aims to address low participation and attainment in education and training across all age groups and create learning opportunities for the whole Glenorchy community. ‘It’s no secret that educational attainment […]
